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Im surprised nobody mentioned health yet?? If either of u have health issues or family history of not living long then taking it early makes more sense. My husband and me both took SS at 62 because both our parents died before 75. We figured we'd rather have smaller checks for longer than risk waiting for bigger checks we might never get.
That's a very practical consideration. Both our families tend to be long-lived (parents all made it to their late 80s), so we're probably looking at a different calculation than you were. But you're absolutely right that health and life expectancy should be part of the decision.
Whatever calculator you use, make sure you understand the "break-even point" concept. If you claim at 62 vs waiting until FRA (66-67 depending on birth year), you'll need to live to around 78-80 for the waiting strategy to pay off. If you wait until 70, the break-even against claiming at FRA is usually around 82-83. The calculators others have mentioned will show you these breakeven ages based on your specific numbers. That's what makes them so valuable compared to the basic SSA calculator.
this is what i always try to tell people! my aunt waited till 70 to get "max benefit" then died at 73. She lost 8 YEARS of payments she could have had!!
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My brothers disabled and his payment is exactly half of my moms retirement check. But when she first filed it took almost 12 weeks for his payment to change. SSA is crazy slow with everything!! Just hang tight, they'll get to it eventually.
Just to clarify a technical point - the benefit isn't half of your mother's actual retirement check, but half of her Primary Insurance Amount (PIA). This is an important distinction because if your mother claimed benefits after her Full Retirement Age, her actual check is larger than her PIA due to delayed retirement credits. These delayed credits don't increase dependent benefits. Similarly, if someone claims early, their check is reduced, but the dependent's 50% is based on the full PIA, not the reduced amount.
Thank you everyone for your helpful responses! I'm relieved to hear this delay seems normal, though frustrated it takes so long. I'll wait another month before taking action. To clarify - my son's disability definitely began before age 22 (he was 20), so it sounds like he should qualify for the DAC benefits at 50% of my PIA (not my actual increased benefit for delaying to 68). I'm also glad to hear they'll backpay the increased amount once it's processed. I'll update here when it finally goes through in case it helps someone else in the future!
That sounds like a good plan. One more thing - when the adjustment finally happens, double-check that they've calculated the correct amount. Sometimes there are errors. Your son's new benefit should be 50% of your PIA (minus any Medicare premiums). If the amount seems off, don't hesitate to question it. Good luck!
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Sorry but this is EXACTLY why I tell everyone to be VERY careful about taking early retirement!!! Your dad lost THOUSANDS by claiming at 62! His benefit would be at least $4500-5000 if he had waited until 70!!! And now your mom might get less survivor benefits because of his decision!!! Social Security is SO COMPLICATED and the govt makes it IMPOSSIBLE to understand on purpose!!!
ppl take early ss for lots of reasons tho... maybe he had health issues or needed the $ right away?? not everyone can wait till 70
Thank you all for the helpful responses! Based on your advice, I've talked with my mom and we're going to: 1. Calculate what 100% of dad's PIA would be (vs his reduced benefit) 2. Compare that to her current SSDI amount 3. Make sure she understands she'll need to apply for survivor benefits if/when the time comes It's a relief to know she'd have options if something happens to my dad. The divorce has been stressful enough without worrying about financial insecurity. I appreciate everyone sharing their knowledge and personal experiences!
That sounds like a solid plan. One additional suggestion: your mother should create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov if she hasn't already. This will allow her to see her own earnings record and benefit estimates. While it won't show potential survivor benefits, it's still helpful to have all her current information organized and accessible. It will make the application process smoother if/when she needs to apply for survivor benefits in the future.
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One more important factor to consider: if you claim your benefit early at 64, and your husband passes away in the future, your survivor benefit would be affected. As a widow, you would be eligible for up to 100% of what your husband was receiving (including any delayed retirement credits), but if you had claimed your own benefit early, your survivor benefit would be reduced. This is one reason why, in couples with significant benefit differences, financial advisors often recommend that the lower-earning spouse consider claiming early while the higher-earning spouse delays as long as possible. This maximizes the survivor benefit protection.
I hadn't even thought about survivor benefits! That's a really important consideration. Since my husband is 5 years older than me, I should definitely be thinking about how my decisions now affect potential survivor benefits later. This gives me a lot to think about.
PaulineW
whats FRA mean?
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Maxwell St. Laurent
•FRA = Full Retirement Age. It's when you're eligible for 100% of your Social Security benefit. It's 66 and some months for people born 1943-1959, and 67 for people born 1960 or later.
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Talia Klein
Update: We called SSA again today and got some clarification. The representative said our request is still in the queue but estimated it would be about 6-8 weeks total. He also confirmed they'll withhold taxes at the rate my wife specified on her original application (which was 12%). Still concerned about the potential IRMAA impact, but we'll deal with that when the time comes. Thanks everyone for your helpful responses!
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Josef Tearle
•nice! hope it comes through faster for you!
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